Teatro Jorge Isaacs, Neoclassical theatre in downtown Cali, Colombia

Teatro Jorge Isaacs is a French neoclassical theatre with Italian Romantic influence, opened in 1931 in Cali's historic centre facing Puente Ortiz. Its horseshoe-shaped auditorium holds a stalls area and three tiers of boxes, and the stage has a 13.25-metre proscenium opening, 25-metre height and 9.15-metre depth. Look for Ionic capitals, neoclassical bucolic scenes, a balustrade, columns, a stained-glass window of Cali's coat of arms and a vera effigies of the poet Jorge Isaacs.

In 1930 Hermann S. Bohmer bought the site of the former Teatro Salón Moderno for 600,000 pesos and commissioned the Italian engineer Gaetano Lignarolo to build a new theatre honouring the writer Jorge Isaacs. It opened on 26 December 1931. A fire in its early years led to the founding of Cali's volunteer fire brigade. Declared a National Monument on 26 November 1984, it was acquired by the state in 1986 and restoration began that year after decades of neglect.

The theater is named after Jorge Isaacs, a 19th-century Colombian writer best known for his novel María. This connection to literature gives the venue a particular identity, and it continues to host performances by local and national artists across different forms of stage art.

Guided tours are generally available on weekdays, but it is worth checking current visiting times in advance as they can vary. The entrance is in downtown Cali, making it easy to reach on foot from other central points of interest.

The auditorium's acoustic chamber rises 33 metres, matching the Teatro Colón as the tallest in Latin America. A fire in the theatre's early years led to the founding of Cali's volunteer fire brigade. The stage opening measures 13.25 metres, with a depth of 9.15 metres and a height of 25 metres.